Resources, links, opinion, news, and commentary for foreigners and expatriates living or visiting Argentina.

Sunday, May 21, 2006

The Mundial Is Coming and Argentina Gets Ready

You can feel the anticipation. Everyone's talking about the Copa Mundial (or just "mundial), which is known to the English-speaking world as the World Cup. Mundial-fever is definitely something new for me. In the United States, I lived 25 years without noticing or caring about the World Cup. Advertisers are giving away tickets and trips as promotions -- it seems like everywhere I go, I've been entered into a contest to win a trip just by buying a soda, making a phone call, etc.

Not only are big businesses getting ready with promotions, but so are small ones. I noticed the corner café that I usually eat my lunch in has just installed a new 42-inch plasma screen. Apparently restaurants that do not show the game will be facing a severe loss of business during June. It wasn't just my local café, either. All over the city, new plasmas are going in.

The fever isn't just restricted to Argentina either. Last week in Brazil, the rioting prisoners of Sao Paulo demanded two things -- conjugal visits from their wives and girlfriends and plasma TVs to watch the World Cup. That just goes to show you how Latin Americans view the World Cup in terms of importance -- its right up there with sex.

In addition, I've been informed by people in my office that I should not expect anyone to be working should Argentina be playing during office hours. Since I'm American, apparently they felt the need to explain this to me explicitly, just so there's no confusion. I don't know how it works in other companies, but I expect that on the days Argentina is playing, there won't be too much work going on either.

So, get ready. Just 18 days until the start of the World Cup. If you're here in Argentina, its going to be the event for June/July.

13 Comments:

Can't wait ! I began following futbol in Miami over the years, and I am now a big fan. For those "American" sports fans who don't understand the fervor, imagine this:

What if professional football (the NFL), was played all over the world, AND was very competitive all over the world. In other words, no guarantee that the Seattle Seahawks would beat the Tokyo Suiciders or the Amsterdam Potheads, or Caracas Oilnuts in a championship final. AND, every four years there was an international tournament to determine who was the best football team. HUGE !!!! That is, in some sense, what the World Cup is like, though with tons of nationalism thrown into the mix as well. At least that's my take on it.So, I look forward to rooting for both the EEUU and Argentina. I know more Argentine futbol players than players for the US squad. Let's go Messi, Crespo and Teves !!

we celebrate like mad that the cheating bastards got their just desserts. if they can't buy a win like in '78 then they have to punch the ball into the goal to get one. i hate with all my heart this country's footy team (although i love argentina and its people normally) and would rather see a germany or, god forbid, a scottish win than an argie one. cheats, whingers, bad losers and even worse winners. i, for one, will be hoping that they go out in the first round like last time and with 2 of the best teams in europe and a nasty test against la costa de marfil waiting for them i fully expect to see a nation blaming the ref, the commentators, my dog and the IMF (it's all a big conspiracy, man) as they refuse to accept personal responsibility for their actions and failures as per usual come the second round.

anyone who supports argentina during the world cup knows absolutely nothing about this country, its history or its culture. if you did, you'd realise that it's like supporting idi amin just 'cos you lived in uganda.

eyy i was reading your blog onli to practice my engish but every time i read it it was so nteresting and now i read it all the time , you make me realise of some kind of argentine personality an other argentine society thing that i dont pay atention ..but enyway i see that you are now undertanding haw the world cup its so important for argentine people ,well you think you know but you have to live here to really understand the fever abaut it hope you enoy it bye ....

(sorry my englishf or enyone who want to help me with it only a chat i let my msn kall92@hotmail.com-lucas)

We just completed our long-awaited trip to Argentina. We watched the first game against the Ivory Coast. The city was pulsing with excitement! It was so great! We watched it at Il Triangolo on Guido, right next to our hotel.

3-0 Argentina over Serbia y Montenegro at half. I am following a live blog from a reporter from the New York Times, who is extremely impressed by Argentina. Arguably, they are the the leading candidate to take it all, given their performance to this point. Let's hear from all the bitter Argie bashers out there who to this point have nothing to poke with their steely knives.